2009 in review: Flowers came over in the Javier Vazquez trade and quickly showed why. He tore it up right out of the gate for AA Birmingham. He hit for average (.302), power (.548 slugging) and got on base (.445 OBP). Tyler was promoted to AAA Charlotte and performed well enough there to earn a September call-up to the big league club. …

“I think (Buehrle) earned that spot because of the respect and the love we have for him,” Guillen said Sunday at Camelback Ranch. “I hope he doesn’t throw another no-hitter – please don’t – because we were in first place when that happened, and I don’t have to hear Hawk (Harrelson) calling it all winter. That was the only good thing we did.”

Guillen was referring to Buehrle’s perfect game on July 23 against Tampa Bay last season. From that point, Buehrle won two of his next 13 starts and the White Sox went 29-38, finishing 7.5 games out of first place.

“I am shocked that Jermaine Dye is still out there,” Williams said. “I thought about [bringing him back]. But our biggest need would be a left-handed bat, in my opinion. That doesn’t fit or is consistent with what Ozzie wants to do. I did think about it, and Ozzie would be in a position where he would have to play him.”

Mark Buehrle was named White Sox Opening Day starter on Sunday afternoon by Ozzie Guillen, during the manager’s first press conference of Spring Training.

With the trip to the mound set for April 5 against the Indians at U.S. Cellular Field, Buehrle will set the franchise record for most Opening Day starts at eight. He was previously tied with Billy Pierce (1951-52, 1954, 1956-59).

Jake Peavy, considered the staff ace, will get the start in the second game on April 7. …

the rest of the rotation would likely be danks, floyd, garcia says gregor.

”I can’t wait for that first side day. Once I see that side day, I can’t wait to see batting practice. Once I see that, I want the spring games to start, then I want camp to end and get on that plane … I’m looking forward to the start of the season more than anything because it’s time for us to get back into the playoffs. Believe me, 2005 was all good, but the one thing is, you realize if you don’t win a championship, well, you come up short. I want another championship. I want the White Sox to have another championship. … As I sit here on, what, the third week of February — I’m sitting here believing we will win this division until someone steps up and proves me wrong.”

Gordon Beckham moves from third base to second base. Beckham, who arrived almost one week before position players report on Saturday, seems confident in his ability to handle the new position, while avoiding the sophomore jinx following an opening campaign earning him two top rookie honors.

“Hit .300, that’s all I really want to do,” said Beckham, who isn’t concerned as much with his home run power as he is with knocking out 40 or 50 doubles. “But it’s not an easy task.”

February 20, 2010

Chris Rongey conducted a very good interview with Darrin Jackson on White Sox weekly this morning that revealed a contradiction in Ozzie’s 2010 gameplan. Jackson, normally a toe-the-company-line guy, said he is not crazy about the rotating DH/OF/1B/everywhere plan because players are much more efficient when they have a set position and role with the club. Citing his own playing days, Jackson said players are more focused and productive when they are mentally prepared for one role. …

When even DJ does not like your gameplan, you know your gameplan has serious problems.

Andruw Jones was one of the early arrivals in White Sox camp, and the former Gold Glove Award winner vowed that he isn’t washed up. “I still have a lot of gas left in the tank,” Jones said Saturday morning after working out with teammate Juan Pierre. …

Among those were newcomer J.J. Putz, who said his right elbow feels great about seven months following surgery to repair bone chips. “I threw a bullpen (Friday) and another one on Tuesday, and everything feels good,” said Putz, who rehabbed his elbow in Phoenix under the supervision of therapist Brett Fischer. …

“We’re touching the opening of spring training, and you know how I am about spring-training distractions. That’s never a good thing. Never a good productive thing for everyone to be watching the door. From the first day on, I want everyone pulling from the same rope. … We asked for their bottom line, and obviously we underestimated on what the market is for him because we thought we were competitive with what the rumors were out there. With what we got back [Friday afternoon], unless Johnny sees this as a great opportunity for him, enjoys a chance to win in a great city, it’s an unrealistic number [that] we got back from them. … If circumstances change in the next 24 hours, I certainly will be willing to revisit it. Jermaine Dye cashed in big time for something like this, taking less money to win a championship, and maybe Johnny wants to do the same. … It’s the nature of the beast, but this has gone on long enough. We have a have a pretty good club as is. Would Johnny Damon add to it? He’s proven that. He was icing on the cake as far as we’re concerned. … If there is a silver lining here, from beginning to end, Scott and I had some pretty good dialogue. At the end of the day, it wasn’t a meeting of the minds, but it may lay the groundwork for future deals.’’

And:

Kenny: “the delicate part is what is a player’s value to team x vs. team y and in city x vs. city y. Some of it is real, some is manufactured.

The White Sox made the Johnny Damon sweepstakes a bit more interesting Friday, rescinding their offer to the free-agent outfielder.

“It became clear to us in our recent negotiations that the money that we were offering was not going to be good enough for Johnny at this time,” White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said to ESPNChicago.com. “At this particular point, we feel it’s necessary to withdraw our offer.”

The Web site, citing Major League sources, reported that the offer was for one year and $6 million, but Williams said the withdrawal doesn’t mean the club isn’t still looking to work something out with Damon …

… A big roadblock, however, was gauging Damon’s value to the Sox versus that of Detroit, which has a more urgent need for a left-handed top-of-the-lineup hitter. The Sox also were negotiating against the Tigers’ reported one-year, $7 million offer.

Nevertheless, ”Johnny isn’t about getting the last dollar and remained very interested in playing for the White Sox,” Williams said. “I think there were other factors.”

Despite pulling out of the Damon sweepstakes, Williams likes the construction of his team and will continue to monitor the market for left-handed hitters.

The game of chicken has all but come to an end. White Sox general manager Ken Williams said on Friday that while the club was still giving free agent Johnny Damon until Sunday morning to take the last offer they had put on the table for the outfielder, any further negotiations have died. …

Kenny says:

“If circumstances change in the next 24 hours I certainly will be willing to revisit it. Jermaine Dye cashed in big time for something like this, taking less money to win a championship, and maybe Johnny wants to do the same. It’s the nature of the beast, but this has gone on long enough. We have a have a pretty good club as is. Would Johnny Damon add to it? He’s proven that. He was icing on the cake as far as we’re concerned.”

Asked if the White Sox would get back into the running for Damon at some point, Williams said: “As you can see by the way that we kept going after this situation, we are very much interested in the player. All I can say is that I reiterate at this time that this offer for now is off the table.” Major league sources said that the White Sox would gladly get back into the negotiations for Damon if they saw more reality in signing the outfielder